Retro Reviews: The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Are You Experienced?

 I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. 

The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Are You Experienced? (1967)

*****

Producer: Chas Chandler

Musicians: Jimi Hendrix, Noel Redding, Mitch Mitchell

Songs: Purple Haze, Manic Depression, Hey Joe, Love Or Confusion, May This Be Love, I Don’t Live Today, The Wind Cries Mary, Fire, Third Stone From The Sun, Foxy Lady, Are You Experienced?

Additional Songs: Stone Free, 51^st Anniversary, Highway Chile, Can You See Me, Remember, Red House

Reviewed by Matthew Anthony Allair

    What can be said about this guitar playing wunderkind that hasn’t already been said, he’s already a revelation in the short time he broke onto the scene. But I am surprised by some fellow critics and peers that are critical about his debut album. Of course, ex Animal’s bass player Chas Chandler discovered him in the US and brought him onto the British scene. Why the criticism, I can only guess, but my impression is that the skepticism is based on his flamboyance and stage theatrics, that his theatrics substitutes musical depth, but I hear a lot of musical depth, if you separate the fuzz volume and guitar feed back, I hear someone who not only has technical proficiency but real song craft as well. There’s some musical sophistication I don’t hear very often from others, and it even rivals Eric Clapton. Hats off to engineers like Eddie Kramer that has helped pull off those sounds. But make no mistake, Hendrix is responsible for those sounds, this is his vision.

    The opening track on the US edition, “Purple Haze”, it’s very opening sounds like a futuristic anthem before the verse even begins. Mitch Mitchell offers some rolling patterns on “Manic Depression” on a song that tumbles along with it’s ode to mental distress. The early single “Hey Joe”, has a full vocal backing that is interesting, and a lead guitar solo that is exhilarating, Once again Mitch offers strong support on “Love or Confusion”, the rhythm guitar is complicated and a second guitar sits on feedback. “May This Be Love” is the first truly lovely number on the album, good vocal and poetic lead guitar. Mitch pretty much carries the atmospheric blues of “I Don’t Live Today”.

    Side two’s “The Wind Cries Mary” might be one of the mostly pieces on the album and one of the better ballads I can recall. “Fire” is a simple fun blues, then again, nothing is exactly simplistic on this album. “Third Stone From The Sun” is Jimi’s take on surf music, but it’s structure is built on several sections. “Foxy Lady” musically struts about with some ebullient leads. The closing title track with it’s psychedelic blues, and backwards percussion manages to triumphantly close the album for the US print.

    But that’s not all, The UK print featured a number of songs that tied into the R and B blues tradition. “Remember” and “Red House” revealed that side of him. Some of the other B sides of the singles, “Stone Free” and “Can You See Me” showed other sides of his background. “Highway Chile” is more dramatic, the spry blues of “51^st Anniversary” argues against marriage. Overall many of the tracks on the album explore depression, freedom, seduction and the reality of life for Americans who are of a different race.

    I could be wrong, but this album is the future, many of these songs will be recorded by others, analyzed and appreciated by others in the years to come. Hendrix has changed the rules – and that’s not a bad thing, baby.